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Potential climate/ disaster impacts addressed by approach & Justification for approach:
Cities and urban landscapes are complex systems, where many stakeholders interact, depend on and claim space and natural resources. Local governments have the mandate to regulate land use, however, urban planning processes are slow and legal frameworks are not always effective and enforced. Therefore, local governments need a tool which helps them identify social and economic dynamics involving ecosystems and biodiversity and identify effective alternatives to incentivize sustainable use of land and resources and decision-making that promotes biodiversity throughout all sectors of urban society.
Process of Implementation:
In collaboration with Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), the methodology “Acting on Ecosystem Opportunities” (OSE) was identified as a tool to mainstream biodiversity in decision-making processes. Several participatory workshops with stakeholders from several sectors (institutional, local government, NGOs, local conservation initiatives) were carried out to apply the OSE methodology in the context of the urban reality in Costa Rica. Identified actions were, on the one hand, integrated into local conservation plans (e.g., biological corridors) and, on the other hand, used to create urban case studies. Case studies were combined with the basic steps of the original methodology, wording and the general framework adapted to the urban context in Costa Rica, resulting in an adapted version of the methodology: the OSE Guide for the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica. The adapted guide was published by the Institute of Development and Municipal Advisory (IFAM) and integrated into a capacity-building program to promote its application among local governments and other organizations.